How to Drink Chrysanthemum Tea
Commonly drunk in China, and gaining popularity here in the United States, chrysanthemum tea is actually not a true tea, but an tisane (herbal infusion) made from dried chrysanthemum buds and/or flowers. This caffeine-free drink is delicious both hot and iced, and while it can be made with a bit of sugar or honey, it has its own tasty floral sweetness as well. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Dried chrysanthemum flowers
- Tablespoon
- Measuring cup
- Teapot
- Infuser basket (optional
- Fine strainer (optional)
- Heat-resistant pitcher (for iced tea)
Instructions
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Hot Chrysanthemum Tea
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1
Put fresh, cold, filtered water into a kettle and set it to boil.
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2
Measure out 1 tbsp. of chrysanthemum for each 8 oz. of water.
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3
Put the chrysanthemum into a teapot (or the infuser basket inside a teapot). If you use a glass teapot, you will have the pleasure of watching the blossoms unfurl as they infuse.
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4
Pour the boiling water into the teapot.
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5
Set a timer for five to eight minutes. The longer you allow the chrysanthemum to infuse, the stronger the flavor.
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6
Pour the chrysanthemum tea into cups. Because very fine pieces of chrysanthemum may be present in the infusion, you may want to pour the tea through a fine mesh strainer even if your teapot has its own filter screen or infuser basket.
Iced Chrysanthemum Tea
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7
Prepare hot chrysanthemum tea as instructed above, but use 2 tbsp. of dried chrysanthemum per 8 oz. of water.
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8
Fill a heat-resistant pitcher with ice.
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9
Pour the infused tea into the pitcher through a fine mesh strainer.
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10
Fill glasses with ice and pour the tea over the ice. Store the rest of the tea in the refrigerator.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Both white and yellow dried chrysanthemum can be found at many Asian markets, as well as online, and each has its own distinct taste. Try both to see which you prefer.
If you don't have a teapot, you can use paper tea filters (empty tea bags) and any cup or mug to make your tea.
Many people don't bother with filters and strainers, and just prepare chrysanthemum tea in a gaiwan (a Chinese covered cup, available at Asian markets). Just add the flowers, pour boiling water on top, wait a few minutes and drink. Use the lid of the cup to push the flowers away as you drink the tea.
Make sure that your pitcher is heat resistant. Glass pitchers that aren't heat resistant may crack or even shatter when hot water is poured into them. When in doubt, pour the hot tea through a strainer into a cooking pot and cool to room temperature before pouring into a pitcher.
